The Boy From District 12
by Vasira Snow
Summary: AU Katniss is President Snow's daughter, and has grown up in the Capitol her entire life. The 74th Hunger Games is among us, Katniss finds herself surprisingly captivated by the boy from District 12.
1. Chapter 1

The Boy from District 12

Author: Vasira Snow

Plot: Katniss is the daughter of Snow, has grown up in the Capitol her entire life. She's watched the games - enjoyed them, in fact - for years, along with one of the gamemaker's sons, Gale. Then one reaping, she sees a boy that she couldn't possibly have known - no, of course not. Yet why does he seem so familiar?

Peeta Mellark is not a star of the interviews - he seems quiet, but sure of himself. He is from District 12, yet there's something about him that she wants to see win.

Through the games, Katniss fights to sponsor him, with the disapproval of her father, her distant mother, even her dearest friends. Even Peeta' mentor, the drunk and violent Haymitch, barely allows her help.

Please Read and Review. This plot was actually the idea of Fantastical-Mundane over on Tumblr, I asked her to come up with an AU plot line, this is what she came up with. I decided to accept the challenge of writing this story, so please let me know if you think I'm doing this AU story any justice. =)

**Chapter 1: Before the Reapings**

Katniss sat on her window seat, leaning against the wall, staring out the window. It was the most exciting time of the year, the reapings were about to take place, in less than 24 hours the games would have this year's tributes. Some might think the games were horrible, so barbaric, but they were actually quite exciting, especially to those who lived in the Capitol.

"Hey Catnip." said a voice, and Katniss grinned as she turned around to look at her best friend, Gale. He currently wore blue hair, wore yellow contacts, black leather pants, and a black fitted t-shirt. That was probably the one thing that Katniss didn't understand about her city. Every day everyone changed their appearances, as if looking how they normally looked was a horrible thing. She tried not to change too much of her appearance, just enough of it (and not nearly as often as everyone else in the capitol) to keep everyone else off her back.

"Gale. I thought you had to discuss how you would dress up your tribute this year?" Katniss questioned her friend. Gale shrugged.

"Your father and Seneca assigned me District 12, like there's much to discuss." Gale replied. Katniss shook her head.

"Come on, we have to keep the games exciting, why can't we have more exciting costumes this year?" she asked. Gale laughed.

"Coming from you? Miss I like the way I look? When was the last time you changed your appearance?" he asked. Katniss kept her hair long, her natural colour was brown, as was Gale's, and instead of dying it all one colour, she would change only her bangs, or streak it another colour, currently the colour was pink, it was fading out and you could see her roots. She didn't change her eyes, and she refused to wear any outrageous clothing.

"Fine.. I'll make an appointment tomorrow before the reaping to change my hair." she said, sighing.

"My beautiful daughter, you know, you'd be much more beautiful if you changed more than just your hair." came the voice of her father, President Snow. Katniss and Gale looked up.

"Everyone want's to be so different, they want to be the next fashionista, but because I just want to be normal, I'm the weird one?" Katniss countered, as she noticed Gale make a face, she knew why. She had grown used to the smell and could no longer smell it, but her father smelt of blood and roses, it was a very unpleasant smell. Katniss guessed it was mostly the blood mixture in the smell, but since she had grown used to it over the years, there was really no way of knowing. However, her father was either oblivious to Gale's face, or assumed it was towards Katniss' comment.

"My dear, how will you ever land yourself a boyfriend if you think like that?" he asked. Katniss rolled her eyes.

"I don't need a boyfriend, I don't want one." she said, she decided against saying she had never found a male in the Capitol enticing, interesting or handsome. How could one find someone who changed their appearance on a daily basis handsome? Gale frowned.

President Snow grinned, "That's what a father dreams of hearing." he said.

"I want you and your sister sitting up there with me tomorrow, so you better get on your hair today, not tomorrow, we can't miss any of the reapings... have your sister accompany you as you go look for a new outfit too, I don't want you to wear anything you own." he said, then he turned around and sauntered out of her room. Katniss rolled her eyes.

"Care to join me at the salon?" she questioned Gale, with a fake smile on her face. Gale grinned.

"I could use a new hair dye." he said, Katniss rolled her eyes.

"Alright, let's go find Prim, since apparently I need to buy a hideous outfit for the reapings." she said. Although Gale changed his hair colour and eye colour almost daily, he wore less outrageous outfits than the others in the Capitol, he kept hoping Katniss would notice him because of the fact, but she seemed to only praise him for not being as 'Capitol-esque' as the others they lived with.

It didn't take long for them to find Prim and then make it to the salon.

"Katniss!" cried Venia. She often acted like they were the best of friends, despite only seeing Katniss a few times a year. Katniss plastered on the most sincere smile she could muster, and kissed Venia's cheeks.

"Venia." Katniss replied, with the same enthusiasm.

"What can we do for you today?" Venia asked.

"Well, my father really wanted me to get my hair done for the reapings." Katniss explained. Venia grinned.

"Oh perfect, come on in... I'll give Octavia my next client." Venia said. Katniss nodded, and let herself be dragged to the back of the salon, Prim close behind. Gale had been pulled away by Lyra the moment they had walked in. Lyra was the owner of the Salon, a huge flirt, and had just so happened to be Gale's hairstylist.

"What colour would you like to use this time?" Venia asked, as she threw an apron over Katniss and began to work at getting the pink out of her hair. Katniss glanced over at the chair next to her, and grinned as Gale met her eye.

"How about a fiery colour? fire orange, fire red... and hell let's go all out with it this time." Katniss said, and she smirked as Gale rolled his eyes.

"All out? Seriously, you're going to let me do your entire head?" Venia asked, staring at Katniss. Katniss shot her a small smile.

"Yes... you know, I have been feeling a little bored with my hair lately.." she said.

"Can we do a new cut?" Venia asked, as she continued to work on the pink, obviously excited about the change in her 'friend'. Katniss shrugged.

"Let's dye the hair first, then we'll see about a possible cut." she replied, not wanting to damper her stylists spirits, plus she wasn't entirely sure she'd like having her whole head such a bright colour, and even though the last thing she wanted to do was cut her hair, she might be willing to do so once it's coloured. Venia let out a squeal, and then immediately quieted down to work on Katniss' hair.

Venia had decided to use a fiery red, instead of a more orange colour, on Katniss' hair, and it turned out to be less bright than she thought it would be, it seemed a bit more of a dull red than a bright red, so Katniss had only agree'd to a small trim. She actually thought the colour looked great with her somewhat pale skin. Prim had gotten her hair dyed green and cut into a fun bob, while Gale had decided to go with a fiery orange colour himself.

Katniss wasn't really that oblivious, she knew Gale wanted more than a friendship from her, but she honestly didn't even want to think about being romantic with anyone. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she just didn't care too. She didn't want to get married. So she had decided to play oblivious, well, continue to play oblivious really, as it had taken her some years before she realized what Gale wanted, even though others had seen it almost right away.

"I wonder what the tribute's this year will be like." Prim gossiped excitedly by her sister's side, as the three headed towards one of the shops their father frequented. Their mother never left the house, yet the girls never seemed to see her. Katniss wasn't even sure her father saw their mother on a daily basis himself.

"I think you're just hoping for a cute boy to swoon over until he dies heroically." Katniss teased her sister. Prim blushed. Gale smirked.

"And you aren't?" Gale asked Katniss. She shook her head.

"Why would I want to develop a crush or swoon over someone who is likely to die?" she asked.

"Well you don't seem to want anyone here in the Capitol." Gale muttered, as he frowned. Katniss shrugged.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see who this year's tributes will be, follow them through the games, so who wins and why, see who dies and how. It's so amazing... but why must I swoon over someone just because I'm a girl?" she asked.

"Katniss, it's about having fun." Prim said. Katniss smiled at her sister.

"I know that, but just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I have guys on my mind. I still have school to worry about, figuring out what I want to do afterwards to think about.. boys just don't fit into my world right now." she said


	2. Chapter 2: The Reaping

The Boy From District 12

Author: Vasira Snow

Authors Note: I will be trying to post a new chapter to this story once a week… likely the new chapter will be added either on Sunday or Tuesday. :)

**Chapter 2: The Reaping**

Katniss had agree'd to let Venia style her hair for the televised reaping. She was now currently sitting beside in between her father and sister, their mother was on her father's other side, with a fake smile firm on her face, giving off the illusion of a happy and close family. Katniss held Prim's hand as they watched District 1's reaping. A boy named Marvel looked excited to go to his eventual death, and a girl named Kendaliza was called up, the moment where they asked for any volunteer's, a girl named Glimmer rushed out of the crowd, looking like she couldn't wait to get out there and kill someone. No one stepped up to take Marvel's place, though Katniss thought it looked like he was giving all the other boys a specific look, like he would do worse than death to them if they took his thunder away. District 2's reaping went similarly, only a boy named Cato and a girl named Clove both stepped up as volunteer's and became the new tributes. The rest of the reapings seemed to go by in a boring fashion, nothing too exciting happening, no more volunteer's had stepped up, and Katniss found her mind wandering. She wasn't sure why, she usually found the reapings just as exciting as everyone else did.

Until finally, it was the last District's reaping. District 12. Katniss found herself more alert as they showed the crowd in District 12.

"Welcome, welcome! The time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 74th annual Hunger Games!" came the voice of Effie Trinket. It cut's to a commercial of sorts, as why would the Capitol need to watch the same video all the district's watch at this point in the reaping more than once? A couple moment's pass by, everyone seems to be on the edge of their seats, probably because these will be the last two tributes picked for the year, even if District 12 is the most boring district, everyone can't wait to see who is picked so they can start their gossiping and betting on who they think will win, even though they know nothing about the tributes yet.

"Well.. ladies first." says Effie, and she walks over to the women's reaping ball.

"Madge Undersee." Effie calls out. There is a small murmur in the crowd around Katniss, everyone immediately recognized the last name, as that was the Mayor's name in District 12. A girl with long blonde hair that was pulled back in a pink ribbon and wearing a long white dress steps forward. She was holding her head up high, but you could see she was trying not to show her emotions, she slowly walks to the stage and up the stairs to stand beside Effie. The camera's cut to her parents, her mother is screaming and bawling her eyes out.

Once the noise in District 12 dies down a bit, Effie walks over to the boys reaping ball, and pulls out a name. She walks back to the podium.

"And our male tribute... Peeta Mellark." Effie calls out. Katniss watches as a boy her age, with blonde hair, walks mechanically towards the stage, no emotion on his face. Every other tribute had some emotion on their face as their name was called and they found themselves walking forward, but not this guy. There was something about this Peeta Mellark that spoke to Katniss. She couldn't tear her eyes off the screen, and she didn't understand why. She was not the type who thought about boys, who cared about boys, who wanted to think or care about boys.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be _ever_ in your favour." Effie said after the tributes had been announced.

The screen went blank, and Katniss continued to stare at it. It took her a moment before she realized her father had pulled her up to a standing position. President was now addressing his Capitol citizens. Katniss wasn't listening, she wanted to know more about the boy from district 12. His lack of emotion, his quietness called out to her, she wanted to meet him, and she couldn't explain why.

"Another year in the games is upon us, by morning our new tributes will arrive." Snow ended his speech. Katniss blinked, as her sister nudged her. Slowly, Katniss looked down at her sister.

"Who do you want to win?" Primrose whispered to her sister. Katniss shrugged.

"We don't even know anything about our tributes yet, I can't possibly know who I want to win yet." she replied immediately, hiding her true emotions. She wanted to say Peeta, but she had always refused to say who she wanted to win before they 'knew' their tributes, she knew she'd be giving herself away if she spoke up now.

Peeta stood in a room all by himself, staring out the window. He was scared, he didn't want to be in the games, he hated the games. At least he knew who he was going into the arena with. Madge and him had been in the same class since they were five, they weren't exactly friends, but they were friendly towards one another.

His mother and father had just left the room, they had wished him luck, cried, said their goodbyes, and then his mother proceeded to ask him how he wanted his funeral. Peeta had refused to answer, what sixteen year old wanted to plan out his own funeral? Peeta made a face, and turned slowly when he heard the door open.

The Mayor stepped into the room, looking like he had been crying as well. Peeta gave him a brief nod.

"Peeta, my boy. Madge has bragged about your strength for years, I believe you'll make it far in the games, hell, I think you could win the games this year. I just wanted to stop in and say hi.. and to remind you, to take care of yourself out there, the games can be tricky, allies may be formed but you have to remember, they have to be broken at some point, if any ally is made, it would be best to break it on your own terms, and not theirs." he said. Peeta nodded mutely. He licked his drying lips.

"Sir? What about your daughter?" he asked. The mayor gave him a small smile.

"Oh Madge, unfortunately, doesn't have many strength's when it comes to fighting, she's picked up a few things here and there, but I'm afraid she doesn't believe she'll make it far into the games." he said, as he tried to fight back the tears. Before he could stop himself, Peeta felt himself move forwards and pull the mayor into a hug.

"I'll try to watch her back for you sir." he said.

"I'll tell you what I told my daughter, just do the best you can. Fight as hard as you can." Mayor Undersee said. Peeta nodded, and then the door opened the the guards were ushering the Mayor out of the room.

Peeta was not expecting anyone else to enter the room, he wasn't close to his two older brothers, but they had visited him before his parents had. Peeta felt himself smile, his family already thought of him as dead, but Madge and the Mayor thought he could win the games? Well, at least someone had some faith in him. And he would honour his promise he made to the mayor, he would try to keep Madge safe for as long as possible, he would try to watch her back.

Thank's to everyone for Reviewing! =) Really makes me excited to try and continue this story! :)

IllusionsOfBliss - Thank you for the criticism of my formatting. I used to write like that all the time, and then one day all of a sudden I put periods instead of commas, and I liked the way it looked, and then realized that I was reading a lot of stories (I think they were novels, or maybe they were other peoples fan fictions?… I know there was at least one novel like that though) with that formatting. But reading your review/criticism of it, it makes more sense for comma's. I already wrote this chapter before I even posted the first chapter on , so it's the same formatting, but I will try to change the formatting to using comma's starting with chapter 3. :)

To Anonymous - I forgot all about Buttercup- haha, I'll try to remember to include buttercup :). Also, I figured even though the characters are in a different setting, I'd be butchering the characters and overall story if I changed their personalities entirely. Especially Katniss=


	3. Chapter 3: Training and Singing?

The Boy from District 12

Author: Vasira Snow

**Chapter 3: Training and Singing?**

Peeta and Madge sat in the training arena, watching some of their opponents. The Careers had already banded together, and seemed to enjoy showing off their skills to the others.

"How long do you think we will last in there?" Madge whispered to Peeta. Peeta shrugged.

"I don't even want to think that way, we should be asking ourselves how we can survive in there and still be ourselves," Peeta replied. After a moment, he stood up and headed over towards the strengthening balls. He had decided to show off his own strength, showing the careers what he was capable of would definitely gain him some awe in their eyes.

Madge watched as Peeta picked up a one hundred pound ball in one hand with ease, and grinned as she watched him hurl the ball towards the target as hard as he could. She caught the small smirk that formed on his face as he turned around and eyed the careers.

Peeta grinned when he saw the astonished looks on the career's faces, and then headed towards the camouflage station, he needed to be proactive. Peeta had always enjoyed art, just as he loved to bake and decorate the cakes in his father's shop.

Katniss braided her hair down her back, as she hummed to herself.

"My dear Katniss, may I have a moment before you head out?" came her father's voice. Katniss turned around in her seat to look at President Snow.

"Yes father?" Katniss answered.

"Remember in the past, when you used to sing for the Victor at the Reapings?" President Snow asked.

Katniss nodded, "Yes, and then mom didn't want to hear me singing anymore," she said. Her father nodded.

"Well, the game makers and I have been talking... and we think it's time for you to start singing for the victor's again... starting with the Victor of this game," Coriolanus told his eldest daughter. Katniss just stared at her father.

"Well, what do you think of that?" he asked.

"Why all of a sudden am I wanted to start singing for the Victor's again?" Katniss questioned.

"It's what the fan's want," Coriolanus replied, "We've received some requests to have you start singing again, it seems your voice used to help soothe the families of those

who did not make it." Katniss stared at her father, still.

"Alright, sure. I did enjoy having my part in the games, I will be honoured to take up that part again," Katniss grinned. Coriolanus grinned, and pulled his daughter into a hug.

They heard a hissing sound, and they both looked down to see Buttercup. Buttercup was not a fan of anyone in the family, except for Primrose. He especially hated their father. Katniss believed that despite their mutual hatred for one another, buttercup even hated her father more than he hated her.

"PRIM," Katniss screamed, as she pulled away from the President. "WHAT?" was Prim's yelled reply.

"Why can't you keep an eye on Buttercup?" Katniss asked, as she entered her sister's room.

Peeta and Madge were now back on the twelfth floor, sitting down at the dining table waiting for dinner to be served.

"How was today?" Effie asked, as a drink Haymitch stumbled half asleep into the room. Peeta rolled his eyes at their mentor, as Madge answered.

"Peeta impressed the career's, when he showed off his strength," she said. Haymitch eyed Peeta as he sat down, Peeta stared back.

"I thought I told you two not to show them your strengths before the arena?" he said. Peeta scoffed.

"I thought you said you were going to stop drinking until the games were over, or we both died in the arena," Peeta retorted.

"Oooh, fiesty... that promise start's once you two enter the arena, we never said I had to start now," Haymitch said. It was true, when Madge, Haymitch and himself had made the pact the night before they hadn't said that Haymitch had to stop drinking before the day the Tributes were to enter the arena.

"They were staring at me, like I was a piece of meat, well, they were staring at both of us like that, I was sick of it," Peeta replied.

"Well now they know what you are good at, they will be strategizing your death now," Haymitch said. Peeta let out a laugh, as the Avox's entered the room carrying dishes full of food.

"They were already plotting out both of our death's before I showed them what I can do," he said. Madge frowned.

"Peeta..." Madge started, Peeta shook his head.

"No, these games are sick and twisted, I know I'm going to die in there, I just want to be able to stay myself, and being myself means when I'm sick of the look I'm getting by the people plotting my death, I show them what I am capable of, it's the only way I could think of to get them to stop staring at Madge and myself the way they were staring," Peeta said, angrily.

"They were already plotting out both of our death's before I showed them what I can do," he said. Madge frowned.

"There's no reason for you to not be yourself, Peeta, how are the games going to change you?" Madge asked.

"Turn me into a ravenous murderer? Just to offer one option," he said. Effie let out a small squeak.

"Okay.. okay.. how about we all get some food in our tummies.. calm ourselves down... we can talk more about this after dessert.. hey, I don't think anyone other Tribute's get dessert... and you do," she said, plastering a huge smile on her face. Madge smiled, and Peeta just reached for some potatoes.

Hey everyone, thanks for reviewing... I hope this chapter is to all of your satisfaction, also I am sorry for updating my stories late this week... last night I was preoccupied with Diablo 3... =D

to l... I totally didn't think of having Peeta volunteer for a kid, that would have been an amazing plot twist, wish I had thought of it now that you mention it, haha


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